diff --git a/freqtrade/freqtradebot.py b/freqtrade/freqtradebot.py
index d3408ada2..833c80735 100644
--- a/freqtrade/freqtradebot.py
+++ b/freqtrade/freqtradebot.py
@@ -1611,7 +1611,7 @@ class FreqtradeBot(LoggingMixin):
 
         return False
 
-    def handle_protections(self, pair: str, side: str) -> None:
+    def handle_protections(self, pair: str, side: LongShort) -> None:
         prot_trig = self.protections.stop_per_pair(pair, side=side)
         if prot_trig:
             msg = {'type': RPCMessageType.PROTECTION_TRIGGER, }
diff --git a/freqtrade/optimize/backtesting.py b/freqtrade/optimize/backtesting.py
index 86c52e737..3c41967e3 100644
--- a/freqtrade/optimize/backtesting.py
+++ b/freqtrade/optimize/backtesting.py
@@ -849,7 +849,8 @@ class Backtesting:
             return 'short'
         return None
 
-    def run_protections(self, enable_protections, pair: str, current_time: datetime, side: str):
+    def run_protections(
+            self, enable_protections, pair: str, current_time: datetime, side: LongShort):
         if enable_protections:
             self.protections.stop_per_pair(pair, current_time, side)
             self.protections.global_stop(current_time, side)
diff --git a/freqtrade/persistence/models.py b/freqtrade/persistence/models.py
index 4aa1c6a4d..98aeacee9 100644
--- a/freqtrade/persistence/models.py
+++ b/freqtrade/persistence/models.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from sqlalchemy.orm import Query, declarative_base, relationship, scoped_session
 from sqlalchemy.pool import StaticPool
 from sqlalchemy.sql.schema import UniqueConstraint
 
-from freqtrade.constants import DATETIME_PRINT_FORMAT, NON_OPEN_EXCHANGE_STATES
+from freqtrade.constants import DATETIME_PRINT_FORMAT, NON_OPEN_EXCHANGE_STATES, LongShort
 from freqtrade.enums import ExitType, TradingMode
 from freqtrade.exceptions import DependencyException, OperationalException
 from freqtrade.leverage import interest
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ class LocalTrade():
             return "sell"
 
     @property
-    def trade_direction(self) -> str:
+    def trade_direction(self) -> LongShort:
         if self.is_short:
             return "short"
         else:
diff --git a/freqtrade/plugins/protectionmanager.py b/freqtrade/plugins/protectionmanager.py
index 6a54c4369..d46826605 100644
--- a/freqtrade/plugins/protectionmanager.py
+++ b/freqtrade/plugins/protectionmanager.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import logging
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from typing import Dict, List, Optional
 
+from freqtrade.constants import LongShort
 from freqtrade.persistence import PairLocks
 from freqtrade.persistence.models import PairLock
 from freqtrade.plugins.protections import IProtection
@@ -44,7 +45,8 @@ class ProtectionManager():
         """
         return [{p.name: p.short_desc()} for p in self._protection_handlers]
 
-    def global_stop(self, now: Optional[datetime] = None, side: str = 'long') -> Optional[PairLock]:
+    def global_stop(self, now: Optional[datetime] = None,
+                    side: LongShort = 'long') -> Optional[PairLock]:
         if not now:
             now = datetime.now(timezone.utc)
         result = None
@@ -56,8 +58,8 @@ class ProtectionManager():
                         result = PairLocks.lock_pair('*', lock.until, lock.reason, now=now)
         return result
 
-    def stop_per_pair(
-            self, pair, now: Optional[datetime] = None, side: str = 'long') -> Optional[PairLock]:
+    def stop_per_pair(self, pair, now: Optional[datetime] = None,
+                      side: LongShort = 'long') -> Optional[PairLock]:
         if not now:
             now = datetime.now(timezone.utc)
         result = None
diff --git a/freqtrade/plugins/protections/cooldown_period.py b/freqtrade/plugins/protections/cooldown_period.py
index a1d7d4291..426b8f1b6 100644
--- a/freqtrade/plugins/protections/cooldown_period.py
+++ b/freqtrade/plugins/protections/cooldown_period.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import logging
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from typing import Optional
 
+from freqtrade.constants import LongShort
 from freqtrade.persistence import Trade
 from freqtrade.plugins.protections import IProtection, ProtectionReturn
 
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ class CooldownPeriod(IProtection):
 
         return None
 
-    def global_stop(self, date_now: datetime, side: str) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
+    def global_stop(self, date_now: datetime, side: LongShort) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
         """
         Stops trading (position entering) for all pairs
         This must evaluate to true for the whole period of the "cooldown period".
@@ -64,7 +65,8 @@ class CooldownPeriod(IProtection):
         # Not implemented for cooldown period.
         return None
 
-    def stop_per_pair(self, pair: str, date_now: datetime, side: str) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
+    def stop_per_pair(
+            self, pair: str, date_now: datetime, side: LongShort) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
         """
         Stops trading (position entering) for this pair
         This must evaluate to true for the whole period of the "cooldown period".
diff --git a/freqtrade/plugins/protections/iprotection.py b/freqtrade/plugins/protections/iprotection.py
index 0eff796b3..5ec1c0779 100644
--- a/freqtrade/plugins/protections/iprotection.py
+++ b/freqtrade/plugins/protections/iprotection.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from dataclasses import dataclass
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
 
+from freqtrade.constants import LongShort
 from freqtrade.exchange import timeframe_to_minutes
 from freqtrade.misc import plural
 from freqtrade.mixins import LoggingMixin
@@ -87,14 +88,15 @@ class IProtection(LoggingMixin, ABC):
         """
 
     @abstractmethod
-    def global_stop(self, date_now: datetime, side: str) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
+    def global_stop(self, date_now: datetime, side: LongShort) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
         """
         Stops trading (position entering) for all pairs
         This must evaluate to true for the whole period of the "cooldown period".
         """
 
     @abstractmethod
-    def stop_per_pair(self, pair: str, date_now: datetime, side: str) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
+    def stop_per_pair(
+            self, pair: str, date_now: datetime, side: LongShort) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
         """
         Stops trading (position entering) for this pair
         This must evaluate to true for the whole period of the "cooldown period".
diff --git a/freqtrade/plugins/protections/low_profit_pairs.py b/freqtrade/plugins/protections/low_profit_pairs.py
index a4b09bb66..7d5d6054d 100644
--- a/freqtrade/plugins/protections/low_profit_pairs.py
+++ b/freqtrade/plugins/protections/low_profit_pairs.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import logging
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from typing import Any, Dict, Optional
 
+from freqtrade.constants import LongShort
 from freqtrade.persistence import Trade
 from freqtrade.plugins.protections import IProtection, ProtectionReturn
 
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ class LowProfitPairs(IProtection):
 
         return None
 
-    def global_stop(self, date_now: datetime, side: str) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
+    def global_stop(self, date_now: datetime, side: LongShort) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
         """
         Stops trading (position entering) for all pairs
         This must evaluate to true for the whole period of the "cooldown period".
@@ -77,7 +78,8 @@ class LowProfitPairs(IProtection):
         """
         return None
 
-    def stop_per_pair(self, pair: str, date_now: datetime, side: str) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
+    def stop_per_pair(
+            self, pair: str, date_now: datetime, side: LongShort) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
         """
         Stops trading (position entering) for this pair
         This must evaluate to true for the whole period of the "cooldown period".
diff --git a/freqtrade/plugins/protections/max_drawdown_protection.py b/freqtrade/plugins/protections/max_drawdown_protection.py
index f489522cf..d759a23dd 100644
--- a/freqtrade/plugins/protections/max_drawdown_protection.py
+++ b/freqtrade/plugins/protections/max_drawdown_protection.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from typing import Any, Dict, Optional
 
 import pandas as pd
 
+from freqtrade.constants import LongShort
 from freqtrade.data.btanalysis import calculate_max_drawdown
 from freqtrade.persistence import Trade
 from freqtrade.plugins.protections import IProtection, ProtectionReturn
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ class MaxDrawdown(IProtection):
 
         return None
 
-    def global_stop(self, date_now: datetime, side: str) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
+    def global_stop(self, date_now: datetime, side: LongShort) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
         """
         Stops trading (position entering) for all pairs
         This must evaluate to true for the whole period of the "cooldown period".
@@ -84,7 +85,8 @@ class MaxDrawdown(IProtection):
         """
         return self._max_drawdown(date_now)
 
-    def stop_per_pair(self, pair: str, date_now: datetime, side: str) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
+    def stop_per_pair(
+            self, pair: str, date_now: datetime, side: LongShort) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
         """
         Stops trading (position entering) for this pair
         This must evaluate to true for the whole period of the "cooldown period".
diff --git a/freqtrade/plugins/protections/stoploss_guard.py b/freqtrade/plugins/protections/stoploss_guard.py
index bb442575e..d0ac2783d 100644
--- a/freqtrade/plugins/protections/stoploss_guard.py
+++ b/freqtrade/plugins/protections/stoploss_guard.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import logging
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from typing import Any, Dict, Optional
 
+from freqtrade.constants import LongShort
 from freqtrade.enums import ExitType
 from freqtrade.persistence import Trade
 from freqtrade.plugins.protections import IProtection, ProtectionReturn
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ class StoplossGuard(IProtection):
             lock_side=(side if self._only_per_side else None)
             )
 
-    def global_stop(self, date_now: datetime, side: str) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
+    def global_stop(self, date_now: datetime, side: LongShort) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
         """
         Stops trading (position entering) for all pairs
         This must evaluate to true for the whole period of the "cooldown period".
@@ -78,7 +79,8 @@ class StoplossGuard(IProtection):
             return None
         return self._stoploss_guard(date_now, None, side)
 
-    def stop_per_pair(self, pair: str, date_now: datetime, side: str) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
+    def stop_per_pair(
+            self, pair: str, date_now: datetime, side: LongShort) -> Optional[ProtectionReturn]:
         """
         Stops trading (position entering) for this pair
         This must evaluate to true for the whole period of the "cooldown period".